


Fate Will Be Broken

by PersonaObsessed100



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Am I putting every tag? Yes, Cafe Leblanc (Persona 5), Canon Compliant, Hinted at Time Loop, Hurt/Comfort, Last tag about the first time through, NG +, New Game Plus, No Persona 5 Royal., Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5 Vanilla Spoiler, The Velvet Room (Persona Series), Will add more as I figure things out, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27067156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersonaObsessed100/pseuds/PersonaObsessed100
Summary: “It all started when I woke up back in April 9th.” Sae’s expression turned into confusion as she took in his wording.“Back in?” He nodded.“It’s a bit weird and even weirder when you experience it but I had gone through this year. I had made it to the end of my journey. To March. To the day I went back to my hometown until I wasn’t. I woke up at April 9th again. In that train with a vague sense of ‘I’m doing it again.’” She looked so lost and he wanted to laugh because that’s he felt. He felt so lost.“Are you saying you time traveled?” He was losing her, but he had to be honest with her. So, he nodded and started again. Let the story end so she could get it.“It was April 9th, that day that started it all. The day I arrived to Tokyo, two days before I became a phantom thieve and nine days before we started after Kamoshida. It was that day that everything started. That cloudy day.” Akira was lost in the memories, lost in that feeling.“The day I decided to break fate.”
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	1. Prologue

**April 9 th**

What was going in Akira’s mind no one could guess. His eyes were stuck watching the buildings passing by and from the outside it looked like he was peaceful, relaxed against the back of long-distance train heading to who knows where. He joined the many people on the train, endless in streams heading to their own paths. They all had a destination, a future that they wanted to hold on to. At least that’s what they thought, but Akira thought differently. While others saw students, office workers, and casual diners heading and doing their best in life, he saw what he had missed his first time around. The underlying uncaring, the gossiping that later haunted him in the halls of Shujin academy.

He didn’t know what to make of the situation. One minute he was heading to his future, the others celebrating and freedom brushing through his hair until he wasn’t. Until it felt like time relapse on itself, took over a portion of what existed and repeated all over again. Futaba, if she was here, would explain it like a new save, a new game plus so to speak.

Akira could feel it, his persona. Arsène was there underlying, waiting. He was waiting until his awakening, like Akira could faintly feel the first time. This time though, it was more grounding, nostalgic. He hadn’t truly felt like one with his persona until he had Satanael so it felt liberating almost. Talking about Satanael, he was there too, but burdened. Chained, Akira noticed. Akira himself didn’t feel chained but Satanael was. Did Yaldabaoth chained him forcibly until he was able to finally face him? It didn’t make sense, but for now he can’t think about that. He has more pressing matters, like how he went back in time.

His phone said it all, April 9th. The day he arrived at café LeBlanc. The day his journey as a wild card started. He loved this last year, it was an amazing experience but he didn’t feel inclined to repeat it. His hands move to rub against his wrist, a new habit he had developed after that fateful day in November.

He wondered, would his friends remember him? Would he be able to change things? The continuity is weird. Every event lead to another and to changed anything would be like, destroying what he had. Does he act oblivious? Or does he create a new future? One where they don’t suffer as much as they did before.

One where mistakes could be fixed.

Akira knew how dangerous it was to mess with things, to play with time, but rebellion burned in him. He wouldn’t stand back. Whatever he could do, he would. For his friends.

He hated to think they wouldn’t remember him, but maybe that’s for the best. The year repeated, a fresh start to a journey he already has done.

The contract has been sealed once again. The game has started over, but instead of fighting against god, he was fighting against time. He was fighting against fate.

Isn’t that the life of a trickster? To fight against fate? To fight for his bonds even if he shall die?

He would fix his mistakes, makes things better even if he had to defy the skies. He didn’t understand much, but as he sat in the seat of the train heading to his brand-new future, he resolute himself for a long haul and Joker wasn’t one to lose.

\--- ---- -----

_“This story is…._

_Similarities between….purely coincidental._

_Only those who have agreed….partaking….game_

**I agree.**

_The contract has been sealed._

_The world is not as it should be_

_Those who oppose fate and desire change…From time to time, they were referred to as Tricksters_

_You are the Trickster_

_“_ And I will change fate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my take on a New Game Plus!
> 
> I'm new to all the mumbo jumbo that comes from fan fiction writing and you can't even know how confused I was adding this to the site because there are so many options!!!  
> I've been on a serious writing slump in forever and as it was going on I fell into the hole that is Persona. I'm obsessed as my newly created username clearly points out, but I'm happy to be obsessed because it's a great story all around. I've been on this site going back and forth through all the fics and falling in love with all the different ideas. So inspiration struck and I want to prove myself I can get to the end!
> 
> This is a new game plus au which follows the canon until it well doesn't. I want to keep a lot of things to myself so everyone gets surprised but I'm excited to follow the game and found where this leads. I'll be practicing some writing styles and other things so if you see anything weird or you would like to comment on, please let me know in the comments. I want to get better after all.
> 
> The ending notes I'll like to fill with what I thought while writing and what are some changes I took liberties with.
> 
> No persona 5 royal!!!!! I'm still playing it so please don't spoil a thing. I don't wanna know, let me play it and decide if I add a thing but for now this is pure Persona 5 Vanilla.
> 
> The hardest parts are the characters so I'm going with some loose interpretations and canon lines, but if you guys have some theories or ideas on the characters let me know.
> 
> The first loose interpretation is the main character! Akira is the name I'm using because it just sounds better for me, but Ren will be used in some ways. You'll have to figure that out. This is after his journey, he remembers his journey so he will of course have max stats, more confidence and clear ideas of what he wants to do. I took the badass, smart, almost perfect memory side with complicated thoughts on what happens. Add a pinch of trauma and boom, all around perfect non perfect Akira. He will change as the journey goes but I want to concentrate on what he does for his friends and confidents and how they change now that he has more of a chance to act.
> 
> About his persona's. According to what I've seen you can play Sateneal, but I am keeping him under wraps for now. More of that will be explained later.
> 
> The theme of this fiction is fate, I'm going to mention it a lot. In the original game it was more of escaping a game made by the gods or finding your rebellion, I didn't feel the escape fate part of being a trickster. Akira has escaped the game, he could care less about it because it has nothing to do with him now. His goal is to escape the fate of what happens. To try to fix his mistakes. To try to do something different without time stopping him. You'll get what I'm saying once we get to Kamoshida because clearly there is one event he would like to fix most of all.
> 
> I'm so excited and it's going to take a while, but I will try my best. Hope you enjoy my twist from the whole game but with awareness!


	2. November 19th: The Fateful day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so it starts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm using the default spacing so tell me if it's easier to read or not.

The casino was in full swing. The lights were glowing even brighter today, the money was flowing between dealer and customer, returning to the dealer as fast as it checks into a customer. The cognitions were accurate, Joker could appreciate the detail. Sae knew detail, that was a fact. The first time around, he really couldn’t appreciate it. The nerves were killing him and all he could think about was, “let me have a bit of fun before it all goes downhill real quick”. The first time around he melted right into his persona, wore a smug smirk, and wanted to send a last “fuck you” to the police that would hold him down right afterward.

Not like he wasn’t nervous now, oh he was. He was nervous, anxious, about to fall down the chandelier to the unsuspecting number of very very detailed cognition public. About the detail, the place was so bright. It was appreciated and while at times very questionable, it was a picture-perfect moment. One that made him smile slightly at the beautiful air of it all. 

The helicopter drilled nearby, panic started to ensue but Joker was appreciating the moment. He didn’t want to think about what happens afterward, about what is to come because Joker had a show to perform and he knows how to perform it to perfection

When people started calling out, a buzzing coming in the coms, he moved. Jumping from one light to another, starting his chase scene. Where he lands the lights sway with beams. Some flicker as he jumps between one and another, his tailcoats flowing with him making him a shadow. Blending him to the scenery like a thief. Of course, they noticed him, because that’s the purpose. He sees the shadows before they see him or at least he thinks their shadows. Sae’s attention to detail was impeccable and he noted to himself to point it out later when the interrogation starts.

He kept moving, now making a wide jump between two pillars letting them have a wide view of what is to come. Landing in his final position poised like an actor, a smug smile came to his face. He clutched the empty briefcase in his hands as he looked down and stared right into the three men that would decide his fate. Die by shadows or survive but get captured by the police. A truly unjust game, Lavenza would say.

They finally notice him and his smile becomes more real and definitely more smug. The three targets clicked their radios and seemed to talk to another person. Police offices, Joker confirmed. Just as planned.

He moved again, landing straight from a pillar to the main platform. Doing this again a second time made no difference to the first time. The adrenaline was pumping, the nerves were high, but this time Joker had more confidence. He knew he wasn’t going to die, he knew it was going to work out because he had done this all before. This time it was different. He won’t just get Sae’s help, but move the story forward.

Voices started ringing in his ears like he was connected to an invisible thread that connected them all together. Comfortable, reassuring were the voices. His friends, his confidants, his bonds.

“Hey, Joker! Stop getting distracted and run!” Mona’s voice pushed the fog and he started to move again as more voices ran their course. Some new and some old. Joker answered back, of course, a new addition he made an effort of.

“Going right now, Mona.” Joker teased as he jumped between platforms gripping the briefcase.

“We’ll retrieve the briefcase on our end,” Queen reported dutifully as Oracle commented as well.

“You can do it, Joker. The path is right ahead.” Oracle was their navigator, that never changed no matter how much Joker knew of these halls like the back of his hand. He respected her enough to take her role as Queen to hers.

“I’m impressed Joker, showing yourself above the crowd earlier was an excellent move.” Mona praised.

“Works every time.” The smug smile was a very permanent feature of Joker, nothing seemed to ever change in that regard.

“I bet Skull couldn’t pull it off that smoothly.”

“It’s because you have no sense for aesthetics.”

“Nobody asked you, Inari!”

“Inari?”

“I’m the only one who can call Inari, Inari! Right, Inari?”

“I much rather not be called Inari.”

“Nope!” The teasing, the laughing. It was more rampant than before. This time they had no idea of what would happen. A blessing and a curse. They need not know after all

Akira kept jumping relishing in the voices of his comrades. The oval entranced move passed his feet skipping as he dodged the men that were coming after him from the other side. Noir asks where they go and Oracle answers, Crow stays strangely quiet. Akira notices it. He guesses that he knows. He knows what is going to happen.

He jumps up the balcony to head to the stairs when he hears the shadows demanding him to stop. This is why he’s so confused about one whose police and who’s not, they all look the same! Is Sae using police as her guards? But their shadows! You know what, just evade them all.

Three shadows surround him and Joker is not phased. He would rather deal with shadows that are nothing to him and as Panthers voice echoes in his ear telling him to “take them down”, he obliged with a little show of course. Joker swirls in the air like he had done many times before and lands right on the closest shadow. With a satisfying crunch, and an inward “let me see your true form”, the mask was forcibly ripped off revealing his enemy.

Arsène was excited, very excited to get the show on the road and as the satisfying thrill goes through Joker, his enemy falls like many others. With no chance of attacking back, with no chance of the shadow escaping and no escape in his crew of personas, he was destroyed faster and even more ruthless than before.

“Good, you defeated him with ease.”

“Woah, that was fast.” Whistles and shocked explanations followed Skull. Always impressed and always supporting.

“More of them!? Be careful!” As more shadows appeared, Joker decides that it’s time to go. Oracle points out an exit and he head upwards again, moving with grace. The next area was very familiar. The papers posted on the walls repeated the same thing again and again.

_Success._

_Wrong way._

_Enemy. Enemy._

He wondered who Sae was talking to. He never had the chance to truly think about the words. Was she talking to him? Or herself? She has to be vaguely aware of what she was hiding in the depths of her heart.

“Joker, just keep going! I’ll lead the way.” Joker stops for a brief second and brushes his hair back before the next door. He has to tell them. Tell them before he heads to the place that he remembers all too well. He couldn’t stop it. The journey to here. It was impossible, so at least they needed to know.

He rubs his wrists remembering clearly the moment that all went downhill. Where it turned from clear rebellion to gray. Where everything mixed together until there was only an end. A bigger enemy. A bigger wrong to fix.

“Oracle, don’t worry about leading me. Concentrate on finding an exit for you guys.”  
  
“Joker?” Queen questioned following his serious tone. He never denied Oracles guidance.

“I just want you guys to listen for now.” Questioning noises follow the connection, but he ignored them as he brushes past the door and continued down the stairs.

“I would like to start with an I’m sorry.”

“Joker? What’s going on?” He ignored them continuing the line of thought he usually didn’t entertain. He continued through all the memories, through all the things that have happened. He went through the door, hid and dodged, and defeated another shadow as his words echoed the walls of the rooms. Quiet but loud. He concentrated fully on what he wanted to say as he was chased down the halls, down the stairs, past the communication centers. He went up and up and up, down and right until he saw what he was aiming for.

Facing the glass wall, he felt a thrill. When voices echoed behind him, he climbed on the ledge and went around until he right in front of the intricate wall of gold, red, blue, and purple. The light that washed before him and he looked back at his targets.

“See ya.” That’s when he flew back, crashing into the glass and flying through the air.

He felt free, liberated, a winner of a long long game. He could concentrate on this feeling as the air went through him and his heart sped to forever, but he let it end as he landed on with a roll perfectly.

Unlike last time, no one commented on how dramatic he was, his words resounding in their heads as he breathed out. He was facing the wall as he let out one last chuckle, a freeing one. A liberated one because he knew, no one could take this feeling from him.

He turned around with his hands up and a fitting smirk on his face. He didn’t try to escape, he wanted them to know how smug he felt. So, his smile grew as he looked at each one of the infuriated faces.

“Please take care of me officers.” A laugh breached through him that haunted the night.

\--- ---- -----

He woke up with a gasp. Water drenched him down from head to toe. It felt worse than the first time as he coughed and glared back at the officer who had entered his space. His hands were bruised and aching and his vision blurry. He could but couldn’t remember a single damn thing. It was there but it wasn’t. Did they put more in him than last time? Or was it the same? Was he back to that time? Or was he not there anymore?

Everything was painful, familiarly painful. He was prepared for this but it didn’t help. He was aching all over. He didn’t know where he was. Back then or now. A kick breached his bubble and sent him down on the floor. It flared his wrists and dragged his shoulder. It had to be dislocated. He breathed through his nose finding it difficult to breathe through his mouth as a shoe appeared before me.

“Did you hear me, bastard?” His hair was dragged upwards as his eyes struggled to focus. He never needed glasses before but maybe he needed it now. The camera in one corner caught his attention as it moved and he knew for certain that Futaba, small Futaba, saw everything. He didn’t look long enough for them to punch him again.

He didn’t know what they were saying. He didn’t know what they wanted as he was punched again for no reason. He was pushed upright and forced a clipboard and he could barely understand as he grabbed it lightly and began to write.

“Amamiya Ren”

Inwardly he laughed at that. Even while drugged he can have the confidence to put whatever on the paper and defy them. If he didn’t think himself of a trickster before, now he did.

Another kick and he blanked out.

\--- ---- -----

The world was in pain. Everything about the entire thing was pain. He didn’t want to be here again, but he was. Sitting before him was Sae Niijima. Like her sister, she knew how to glare. Did she get it from her sister or her mother? Or maybe she was the one who taught it to her younger sister? Either way, he felt intimidated.

He was before her as he leaned heavily on the table wanting all of this to just come to an end.

“Can you hear me?” Akira brought his attention up concentrating on the way Sae leaned forward and her lips as she spoke. He had to concentrate on something. “It seems you’ve been through a lot. Almost anything can happen here...and I can’t stop them.”

She looked remorseful compared to the first time. The first time she was more accepting of what happened. She had a job to do after all. Now she looked a bit like he pitied him, which was better than before. Akira wondered what changed to cause her to have more sympathy toward him. In his thoughts, he lost her next words, but he kind of already knew what she was telling him from memory.

The memories of this time never did escape him.

“What was your objective?”

Silence.

“Why did you cause such a major incident?”

“…. I couldn’t assemble a case for prosecution. It’s because I couldn’t figure out the method behind it.” He lost another portion of what she said. He shook his head lightly to push the fog away. He needed to concentrate.

“Of course you couldn’t…” Akira started. A line he could remember saying. He needed focus.

“When and where did you find out about that world?-“ Concentrate. ”-How is it even possible to steal another’s heart?-“ Concentrate. You have to just talk and then all of this would be over. For them. “-Now, tell me your account of everything. Start from the very beginning.”

Akira opened his mouth then closed it as he tasted salt. Where does he even begin? Before or after? He didn’t know, but he thought he should be honest. Honesty is the best policy.

“Sae.” She flinched at the familiarity he used. She was about to comment on it when she stopped, thinking otherwise. Akira kept going. “Stay with me until the end. It’s a bit of a rough ride.”

He laughed lightly as he rested his head fully on his hands. He relished the slight comfort it gave him.

“Okay, try your best to give me your full details. In the end, I’ll decide if I believe you or not.” He liked that response. She knew he was getting into some unknown territories. Territories that many wouldn’t believe. He was thankful that she was giving him the benefit of the doubt this early on.

He sighed then continued.

“It all started when I woke up back on April 9th.” Sae’s expression turned into confusion as she took in his wording.

“Back in?” He nodded.

“It’s a bit weird and even weirder when you experience it but I had gone through this year. I had made it to the end of my journey. To March. To the day I went back to my hometown until I wasn’t. I woke up on April 9th again. In that train with a vague sense of ‘I’m doing it again.’” She looked so lost and he wanted to laugh because that’s what he felt. He felt so lost.

“Are you saying you time traveled?” He was losing her, but he had to be honest with her. So, he nodded and started again. Let the story end so she could get it.

“It was April 9th, that day that started it all. The day I arrived in Tokyo, two days before I became a phantom thieve and nine days before we started after Kamoshida. It was that day that everything started. That cloudy day.” Akira was lost in the memories, lost in that feeling.

“The day I decided to break fate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> November 19th is such a big turning point of the game. It's the day everything start and then kind of ended but not really. Of course it's also the day of Akira's trauma so imagine how important that day really is. So clearly now you can see where the story leads to. This day still happens, what a surprise.
> 
> I'm leaving it up to you where this all goes. What happens and what are the biggest changes, but I will point a few things.
> 
> One, dialogues suck but they are more causual. I am watching and playing persona 5 while making this so a lot of things are going to repeat until well they don't. I added more lines, changed things up, skipped parts and most importantly had Akira respond. 
> 
> I'm not going to show what Akira told them until we come back to this day. You'll just have to wait. 
> 
> I am a believer that Futaba is the one controlling the camera. They wouldn't have the camera on at all when torturing Akira because it leaves too many chances of the public knowing so I believe Futuba sees it, she knows. And that the camera in the original game kind of shakes like saying no. Futaba the poor girl must have been unable to see what was going on. I think you should remember that because I'm going to add a twist. 
> 
> Oh and crow. Yeah hmmm, wait and see I think. 
> 
> A lot of these things are going to wait because the story is finally starting.


	3. April 9th/10th: Cafe LeBlanc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira starts his journey with a lot of thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took too long ,_,

The train was moving a bit too slow for Akira’s liking. He wanted it to go faster. He wanted to arrive quicker and see Sojiro and Futaba and Ryuji and Ann and honestly everyone. He wanted them to reassure him that he wasn’t crazy, well even crazier than he was after fighting literal god.

It was April 9th. It repeated in his head hundreds and hundreds of times and he couldn’t get it. Like, it’s April 9th! Why? How?

He didn’t get it. He really didn’t get it, but here he was. The same place he sat on his way to his sentence. A probation he didn’t earn, a probation he got for doing the right thing. His eyes drifted down and he remembers how this all started.

Shido.

That woman.

A dark night.

And him.

He knew that’s when his push against god started. All in a coincidence, of a random night and random sky. But his journey started today. On this day, now. The day he arrived in Tokyo. 

“A mental shutdown?” Akira looks up concentrating on 2 students he had noticed before too. They weren’t Shujin students, part of the random line of people. They were talking about mental shutdowns, the newest craze.

Akechi. He was active during this time. He clearly doesn’t remember his death if he is still active or maybe this was done before today. Either way, he exists. Of course, he exists, Akira could never forget him. Akira felt this connection with him other than the bond forced on them. He was kind of like him, a side that if left to rot would come up and create what Akechi is.

His death hurt Akira deeply, something he never told the rest of the thieves. Everyone had gotten to not saying a thing about Akechi but it still hurt. Goro Akechi, his rival, and his friend. His death was one that Akira didn’t know what to do about. If this is a chance to fix things, would try to save Akechi be one of the many mistakes to fix? Would it be the crux of what he needed to do?

It was hard because it will all depend on Akechi. It will all depend on what he decides and Akira wasn’t sure that he would make a different choice.

“—Welcome to Tokyo—” Akira sighed in relief at hearing the muffled announcement. He didn’t want to think about all the complications. He wasn’t especially tired but he needed to get to someplace of familiarity. Someone has to remember, right?

Akira head out of the station and down the walkways all with a clear purpose and when he arrives at the same place that highlighted Tokyo, he stops. The tv was nostalgic, the same place the last calling card went up, and where Shido was doomed to fail. This is where he and his teammates stood fresh after Akechi’s death and a clear conviction in their eyes. There his phone dinged and he raised it out of his pocket to his eyes. The red-eye popped up and grew. The world froze, time stopped.

Fires grew and grew in front of him. Grew to a dangerous level as Arsène reveals his dangerous intent. The fires grew and grew and as the world morphed Akira was left in the middle.

His uniformed glitched in and out from his tailcoats.

Power rushed through his being, the same that followed when he first awakened.

He stood there.

Joker stood there.

Smiling.

* * *

Akira arrived at Yongen-Jaya in the afternoon just as it was before and instead of heading to the house to check if his guardian was there, he went straight to Café Leblanc already knowing the Sojiro would be there waiting. Well, not waiting per se.

He refreshed his mind with memories of when he first came. Sojiro had been anything but kind in the beginning. He got a room and some food but treated him as an absolute criminal. Akira wasn’t offended really. Sojiro was doing what he could to protect Futaba and keeping a supposed delinquent away from his home and in line was the least he could do to keep her safe while indulging in his desire to board Akira.

If Sojiro didn’t remember, this was going to be hard. He knew the old grouchy father figure of his wasn’t bad or really meaning half the things he says but he still said some rude things in the beginning which Akira would have to deal with. The level of trust would be gone too, so no coffee or curry making in the beginning either. Much less leaving in the evenings.

Conclusion: This is going to suck.

Akira entered Café LeBlanc with too many thoughts and the hope he had vanished instantly when he saw Sojiro look up from the crossword puzzle he was doing and not recognize him.

“Oh, right. They did say that was today.” Akira’s spirit went down. No recognition. Nothing.

The old couple left as soon as Sojiro stood up and Akira bowed to them in goodbye before concentrating on one of the only adults he trusted.

“Four hours for a single cup of joe. So, you’re Akira?” Akira bowed and responded with a “Please take care of me”.

Akira was tempted to say a multitude of things like “thank you”, “sorry”, “I don’t know why I’m here either”, “how’s Futaba?”. He could have started this all very differently but staring at the man he came to know as a father not recognize him and look at him with some apprehension, it hurt. Deeply.

Akira followed the same steps, unsure where to begin his journey. How does he explain to his guardian he went back in time? Just walk up to him and be like “so after defeating god and on the way back home after one thing after another, I woke up a year back and I know what’s going on but I don’t, so I need to go see Futaba so she doesn’t suffer as long and like…… sorry?”

Yeah, not a good conversation starter. Now Akira was good with words, but he could be a bumbling idiot at times. He couldn’t really explain anything and he was so very tired that he just threw all the ideas out of his head and wanted nothing else but to sleep.

Well, until he remembers that his attic is trash. He wanted to keel over right then and there staring at his attic, dirty and dusty and full of grime. His table wasn’t fixed and he had no decorations and it was soooo dusty! Before he wouldn’t have minded but that’s because even though the dust was a natural part of the attic, he forgot how much worse it was the first day.

“-I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed.” Akira looked back at Sojiro with just helpless eyes and he narrowed his own at the boy's expression. “You look like you wanna say something.”

Akira wanted to laugh at that. He wanted to say a lot of things, but he left it at “it’s big.”

“It’s on you to clean up the rest.” Sojiro was gruff, he seemed to be wearing a mask so to say. Akira acknowledged the words that came from him, but he didn’t believe him. It was hard to think he had to start over, but he left it off. He would take as a chance to get closer to his guardian.

“I got the gist of your situation.-“ the conversation comes in and out. He had heard all of this before. “-what you get for sticking your nose-“It felt inconsequential. The talk about how it was his fault, that he should have done nothing. It met nothing to him.”-In other words, they got rid of you for being a pain in the ass-“Akira could never confirm that actually. His parents never sent him texts or emails or letters or anything really. He just had to go back. That’s why he felt so relieved to be with the others so if he had to confront his parents, he had an easy escape. It met nothing to him, what others thought of him.

Sojiro left after the lecture on his role for next year. He mindlessly acted like he didn’t know what he was saying, nostalgic when it came to mentions of his year and unsure of Shujin academy. In his head, he wasn’t concentrated on dealing with the things he knows he is going to break, but planning on what is to come. First, he cleans, then he sleeps, then he visits Shujin because he has to, then he sits down and makes some plans because he has a goal. His goal was to make sure Kamoshida knows his rage.

He spent a few seconds looking in his box to be absolutely surprised. After changing and choosing his clothes, he didn’t know how to explain what he saw. Under the clothes and necessities, there it was. Wrapped in newspaper, exactly like he left it was the ramen bowl that he got from Ryuji. A mindless gift, one that he held dear in his heart.

Well, this confirms one thing. This year was repeated.

_Well, duh. Like I didn’t already know that._

Akira sighed and placed the bowl carefully back into the box. He put the box on the shelf and started cleaning. This time he didn’t stop with the basic, no he went full on to clean every speck of this room. The place was dusted, mattress aired, books moved, plastic sheens were taken out. Sojiro watched as Akira determinedly moves from upstairs to downstairs dragging the ladder, books, and other arrangements of stuff. He was tempted to ask if he could throw some of these things away, but he made the executive decision to just dump what isn’t needed. Of course, what he did save was more essential stuff and the thing he could in the corners.

If Sojiro was bothered, he made no attempt to stop him. When he came up to the attic after finishing up for the day, he was impressed.

“I saw you coming up and down with some books but I didn’t expect you were cleaning it all. This doesn’t look half bad.” Akira chuckled lightly, rubbing his neck.

“Took some proficiency.” He could hear Morgana in the back of his head. He would be impressed. Sojiro seemed to be anyway.

“Well, you’re certainly hard working. Don’t think this changed anything kid.” The glare softened just a tiny bit. Akira called that an accomplishment.

“Wouldn’t dream of it-“He had to stop himself from saying Boss, biting his lip. Sojiro looks down, back to his usual glare.

“Tomorrow you better keep that attitude to yourself. This is your last chance, one wrong word and you’re out of here. Now go to sleep and don’t touch anything. There’s curry in the fridge.” Sojiro started heading down before he stopped again to look at Akira again.

“Do not touch anything.” Akira waved him away before dropping down on the mattress wishing for sleep to come faster. Tomorrow is another day.

* * *

Chains creaked. Rang and reminded. Akira opened his eyes to the familiar velvet. The blue adding a sense of distress. A sense of beware. This wasn’t the correct velvet room.

Akira rose hating the cuffs around his arms and the chains wrapping every scene of what was not meant to be wrong.

His prison suit glitched in and out and Akira hated it. Sitting up, Caroline and Justine appeared before the door.

Where’s Lavenza?

Akira went forward very aware of the chain ball around his ankles. In the deep voice that he hated so much, Akira was greeted.

“Trickster…Welcome to my Velvet Room.”

He wanted to punch that old balding man in his face.

* * *

**April 10 th**

Hearing Kobayakawa again wasn’t a plus. Akira had too many plans going in his mind to care what he was going on about. Is it about how much of a delinquent he is? His many multitudes of warnings? The very fake acted conversation between him and Kawakami about how she has no responsibility?

It didn’t really matter.

He had gone to the previous velvet room. It wasn’t the real master there, it was that damn god of control. It wasn’t really much of a worry, Akira would shoot him in the head again, but he was worried about Lavenza. Being separated into 2 wasn’t any fun or nice. The fusions weren’t going to be good either. If he had to see Arsene be decapitated again, oh he was going to bring hellfire down on that damn god.

That was the least of his concerns anyway. The game was starting and today determined a lot of things. One thing most of all. Akechi.

Akira was disappointed to hear after the mind grueling lecture and reminders after reminders of his behavior to hear on the way home that a train came crashing through the station.

Akechi didn’t remember.

The disappointment that coursed through him was too much. What would have happened if he did remember anyway? Would he come to Akira in his crazed lunacy and stop?? Would he finally ask for help?

It seemed the disappointment was visible on his face because Sojiro glanced at him for a second before actually talking to him. More than ever before.

“You doing okay there? You look like you just heard your cat has died.” It’s much worse than that. Actually, that's debatable. Akira would have just said he was fine but the thieves hated when he gaslighted his feelings. It may be too early but screw it.

Akira sighed and looked out the window. His throat tightened a bit but he let the words come out.

“What do you do when you know your friend is making horrible decisions but you can’t convince him otherwise?” It took Sojiro by surprise. Akira hurried to backtrack knowing Sojiro wouldn’t get it but surprisingly he answered seriously.

“That’s a hard one kid. I’m surprised you still have any friends after everything going on, but who knows. I just say you stick to it, maybe reminding them long enough that it is wrong will get through to them. Don’t get involved in anything fishy though. Your trying to lay low aren’t you?” Classic Sojiro, hide behind the roughness of Akira being a delinquent while giving actual good advice. Akira nodded and a smile grew on his face. Maybe it wasn’t that hard to get back to what he had.

Bother your friend until they finally decide to listen huh?

Oh, this was going to be fun.

* * *

It was evening when Akira arrived back in his friendly attic and Sojiro came up to give him his journal when he placed his last memorabilia nicely on the shelf. Everything was in place, nice and neat, and wonderfully decorated. The stars were on the roof, the bowl in place, and the crafts material already on the desk. Another day he would have to buy the DVD player and game console again. Later on as well would he place his phantom thieves tapestry up to finally add the last touch up. He was proud of his work.

Sojiro couldn’t hide how impressed he was with how the attic looked. From decrepit and old to a fitting room for the bright enigma that was Akira Kurusu. Already making one weird impression after another.

“It’s a dairy. Make sure you write in it.” Sojiro dropped the familiar diary down on the countertop and Akira nods thanks.

“Huh, you seem to already have one. I just bought this cheap to get me not to worry too much but you seem already in the habit of that. I’m having you report your day so I don’t have to come every day. You’re not under any special limitations but don’t expect things to be light.” That’s another addition to the oddities. In the box of stuff included Akira’s old journal full of every single event that happened in the past year. Something Akira is going to have to take deep care of.

Sojiro left after a call from Futaba it seems and Akira has left with his thoughts again. He looked through the old journal on the desk with the new one right next to it. Writing in the new one a bit, he started jotting down notes of what he would do next, what are some things he needed to concentrate on.

Now there is one big goal.

Saving Shiho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aghhh, why did this take forever. I just wanted to do the introduction thing and move on. 
> 
> Okay, so I was experimenting on what I should just breeze through or repeat so it might be boring at times. I'm fighting myself on novelization or not, so i went with my gut. If i didn't want to write some things down I went past it. No one wants to think about the damn prinicipal and the mutliple lectures of Akira's conduct and neither does he. I'll make an effort to skip more later and only concetrate on whats new, which should be increasing as it goes. 
> 
> I played around with his character a bit, mostly on his thougts. I am putting an empthaisis on he has grown, he knows a lot more than before and max stats makes you a lot more confident. He will talk a lot more, mostly about his feelings because come on. The rest of the thieves must have talked to him about opening up more eventually. I'm imagining that conversation happening in the van. 
> 
> So, Sojiro. Everyone's coffee dad. I feel like the connection is there. All characters are basically rank 10 so there has to be some kind of click. A slow one, but one none a less. So I added a bit more sympathy to his character. Making him a gruff dad who doesn't know what to do with Akira. It's the first two days so it's mostly being impressed and treating him like a kid that's right off the streets, then they return to professional. 
> 
> Who here has had the urge to clean that room until there isn't a speck left. Why wait in a new game plus when we already know whats up. Akira doesn't have max profeincey for nothing and as leader he has to be prepared of reverything. Including Morgana's welcome to the family. Can't have the cat lecturing you again about the damn dust. 
> 
> A lot of thoughts on akechi, but like he did try to kill him you know and having the news talk about something related with him doesn't help either. 
> 
> I'm really happy some people decided to comment and I'm taking everything to heart. I wish I knew how to add emojis to show my appreciation. It really helps me continue to know at least someone is reading this and I'll be experimenting more as I go. Thank you! 
> 
> Next time, Kamoshida. This one is going to take a while. I got to deal with Ryuji and Morgana and controling my hatred for Kamoshida. It's a big one because I died too many times to him during my behind the scenes royal play. Screw him. :(


End file.
